Queenstown Airport: Designing for what travellers really want
They already knew, through global service quality data, that travellers wanted more choice. But “more choice” is vague, and the team wasn’t willing to guess. “We knew people wanted something,” Vanessa says, “but what was that something? A bar? A sit-down meal? More grab-and-go? We had no idea.” So instead of speculating, they turned to Ideally to help them dive deeper.
From the outset, the team thought they had a good read on their audience. Queenstown is a tourism hub, and many of the international travellers are Australians heading home from a holiday. Naturally, they assumed food and beverage demand would skew towards a celebratory vibe.
But that’s not what came through in the data.
“We were surprised that there wasn't more demand for alcohol,” Vanessa says. “We have two real diverse sets of people. People who want to sit down and actually feel like they've had a hospitality service. And then we've got the other people that just literally don't want to leave their gates.”
Even more interesting was how long passengers were actually spending in the lounge. Despite the relatively short international flights, many were arriving early and settling in. They weren’t in a rush to get through and out again. Some wanted to sit and dine, while others were laser-focused on staying close to the gate, even though you can see all of them from anywhere in the room. It wasn’t just about food. It was about comfort, control and rhythm.
These insights reshaped not only the offering, but the layout and design philosophy. “We realised we had more time with our passengers than we thought. If we gave them something worth staying for, they would.”
From data to concept: how Skippers came to life
All of those insights pointed toward a clear opportunity. A new concept that blended casual dining with local flavour. Something approachable, but elevated.
The result was Skippers, a new dining concept designed to reflect Queenstown’s character and natural surroundings while delivering on what travellers actually wanted. Variety, quality and atmosphere.
Launched in December 2024, Skippers combines a full-service bar with casual dining, quick options, and a space that finally feels like it belongs in a destination airport. The impact was immediate.
“It’s changed the whole tone,” Vanessa says. “Now we’ve got proper spaces, places to sit, choices to make. Before, it felt like a waiting room. Now it feels like a place people actually want to be.”
And it hasn’t just been about ambience. Commercially, the uplift has been significant. Skippers has outperformed expectations and revealed just how much value had been left on the table.
But for Vanessa and the team, the real win has been in customer experience, which remains the airport’s north star. The early feedback, both from passengers and the local community, has been overwhelmingly positive. People notice the difference. They appreciate the intention behind it. And they stay longer.
With Skippers now up and running, attention has shifted to the next opportunity. Retail. One tenant, a bookshop that also carries convenience items, isn’t being read that way by customers.
“People are telling us they can’t find convenience items, but they’re there. They’re just hidden behind all the books.”
So the team plans to test again. Playing with signage, merchandising, even AI-generated design mockups to see how the space could better signal what’s actually on offer. It’s the same playbook. Small changes backed by insight, in a constrained space that’s heading for transformation.
Listening better, acting smarter
At the heart of it, this work reflects a mindset shift. From assuming to understanding. From fitting out a space based on what’s always been done, to designing it based on what passengers really need.
“We’re not in a position to knock down walls yet,” Vanessa says. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t make things better. If we listen properly, we can make smart improvements that change the whole experience.”
